, 1887-02-09
4 FAMOUS $4,000 RAPHAEL.



A story Concerning the / rccious Little
Panel, THE Three TRACES"
The Due d'Aumale has the true col
lector's love for his treasures. and, if
there is anything that can at all console
him in that exile to which he la, been
stupidity condemned, ii is the company OF
his pet pictures and his iavorito books.
\ day or two ago the well-knos.a Lon
don specialist in autographs, NJ. Thibau-
dcau, came TO gossip with me Tor half an
hour on his way through Paris in quest
Of new treasures. Now, it was Thibau-
dean who sold the Duo d'Aumale his
famous 100000 Raphael. that precious
little panel, just about four inches square
ON which the master of Urbino has painted
three women supposed to represent the
'-Thrcr Graces.E Naturally, we had
some talk about Chantilly and about this
famotis painting.
After the death of its last owner, the
Rev. Fuller Russell. NJ. ~Thibaudeau, who
had won the confidence of the Due
d'Aumale in important transactions con-
corning autographs Of the Condo family,
was charged with the purchase of the
picture. and. having concluded the
affair. he arrived one morning at Chan
lilly with the Raphael under his arm.
He was shown into a room. In a few
minutes the Due d'Aumale came hobbling
in, his govt troubling him "A little that
morning, and seeing the Raphael he ex-
claimed in joyful banter: "Ahi You
have brought me another picture. have
your ! see are determined TO ruin
me. Then, after admiring the picture
and examining it infinitely, the duke laid
it ON the table. s'Eh bien. Allons de-
icuner. Let us go to breakfast he said.
and to breakfast they went. But the
duke could not forget the Raphael, and
after the first course he ordered the pict-
ure to be brought in and placed on u
chair. where he could see it while he was
eating. The picture was under glass in
a lock frame of which the key was lost.
.'What n nuisance! II we could only see
1t without theg lassi"
Thibaudeau asked for II chisel. mol
No! You will spoil It," However,
Thibaudeau persisted, removed the back
of the frame, and took out the panel.
Thu glass was coated with English SCOT,
and the precious panel likewise. Then,
taking some soft bread crumbs, Thibau-
deau rubbed the panel gently and gradu-
ally removed all the dirt, and the Raphael
appeared in all its pristine brilliancy.
The panel is nov, a solid silver frame,
and the Due d'Aumale is preparing a
monograph on the work, to which he
thinks the title of The Three Graces'' is
wrongly given. The subject is indeed
rather curious; it represents three women
standing in IA group face to face. The
woman in the centre is entirely nude,
and has her back turned To the public;
the woman on the left has "a band Of
drapery around her loins; he woman on
the right is entirely nude and younger
than the other two. Each of the three
holds in one hand an apple, like tho
victorious goddess in the Judgment Of
Paris" The nut d'Aumale has n theory
that this group is an allegory of the three
periods of feminine beauty, and repre-
SCENTS the marringeable virgin. the young
mother and the mature matron, In sup
port of this theory the duke has dis
covered much interesting matter in
Italian literature of the Renaissance
period. Paris Cor. New York Sun.